Parthenon looking from the west at the west facade. The architects were Iktinos and Kallikrates.

Plan of the Parthenon

Analysis of the proportions of the Parthenon

Cross section of the east end of the Parthenon.

West facade with Doric and Ionic Friezes. Note the presence of regulae and guttae under the Ionic frieze.

Curved Stylobate of the Parthenon.

Analysis of the Refinements

Chryselephantine Statue of Athena Parthenos made by Phidias:

Modern Reconstruction of the Athena Parthenos

Modern reconstruction made by Alan LeQuire and housed at the replica of the Parthenon in Nashville.

The following description of the statue of Athena Parthenos
is from the Perseus Project: As
restored from copies, Athena probably stood with her weight on her right leg,
and her left leg relaxed. She wore sandals, a peplos belted over the overfold,
an aegis, and a helmet. A centauromachy was illustrated on the soles (?) of
her sandals, and the helmet was decorated with griffins and sphinxes. On the
palm of her outstretched (right?) hand she held a statue of Nike, and in the
other she held a spear. At her feet rested a shield, within which (?) a serpent
(representing Erichthonios) was coiled. The shield was decorated on the outside
with an Amazonomachy, and on the inside with gigantomachy. On the statue base
was illustrated the birth of Pandora, the progenitor of the race of women. Hephaestus formed her body out of clay while Athena gave her life by dressing and adorning her body. Note how the creation of man was complete in a single stage with Prometheus forming the body out of clay, while woman needed two stages in creation. Consider this in relationship to the contrast between the nude kouroi figures versus the clothed korai figures. The name Pandora means all gifts so she is regularly seen as the giver of the arts.

"Varvakeion Athena" from Athens, 2nd c. AD version of the Parthenos.

Detail of the "Varvakeion Athena."

Reconstruction of the outside of the shield showing the Battle between Greeks
and Amazons.

Sculptural Programme of the Parthenon:

Metopes: from the South Side: Battles of Lapiths and
Centaurs.

Ionic Frieze: Panathenaic Procession

Route of the Panathenaic Procession

The celebration of the Panathenaea is understood to commemorate the foundation of the civic order which coincides with the birth of Athena, the Gods defeat of the Giants, and the founding of Athens.

Below are the figures generally attributed to the East pediment of the Parthenon.
Someone who knows their astronomy can help me out here. I know that when
the full moon rises, it is at sunset. Does that mean that the sun always
rises on the day of the full moon when the moon sets? I ask this in relationship
to the Helios and Selene figures at either end of the pediment. Try to reconstruct
their original arrangement:

The second-century well- head this drawing is based was for a long while believed to be based on East Pediment of the Parthenon. You will notice that a number of the reconstructions above assume this. More recently this association has been questioned.